The ATTTA Team was busy last week attending meetings for Atlantic wild blueberry associations. Last Thursday, April 4th, ATTTA attended the PEI Wild Blueberry Growers’ Association annual general meeting in Charlottetown, PEI, where the team gave a program update and engaged with PEI blueberry growers and beekeepers. Following that, on April 5th, ATTTA was pleased to attend and present at the Wild Blueberry Producers’ Association of Nova Scotia spring information meeting in Truro, NS. Read this week’s blog to learn the highlights of both blueberry meetings.
A Review of PEI Wild Blueberry Growers’ Association AGM 2024
The PEI Wild Blueberry Growers’ Association held their
annual general meeting last week on April 4th, where there were approximately
60 industry members in attendance. The meeting started with a market update
from Gilbert Lavoie (Forest Lavoie Conseil). Lavoie discussed wild blueberry
production, inventory, supply, sales, importing and exporting, and prices for
both Quebec and the Maritime provinces. In the Maritimes, there was 126 million
lbs. of wild blueberries produced in 2023. The price of frozen wild blueberries
has dropped sharply ($1.45 per lbs.) due to the inventory of frozen blueberries
remaining so high this past year. Lavoie discussed the strategy of the Wild
Blueberry Association of North America (WBANA) to improve the market of wild
blueberries, where there will be an emphasis on the value of wild blueberries
compared to cultivated blueberries. There is also a need for both volume and
price stability within the wild blueberry sector.
Amy Argentino (Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada -
FVGC) discussed the work of FVGC, which is the national advocate for fruit and
vegetable growers in Canada. Matt Ramsey (PEI Federation of Agriculture)
discussed the challenges and opportunities for wild blueberry growers to lower
their carbon footprint, and some of the incentive programs that are in place.
Patrick O’Neil and Wade Dover (WBANA) presented on the history of WBANA and
introduced Patrick as the new executive director of WBANA.
The ATTTA team was pleased to give a program update
during the PEI meeting, where the team discussed their research projects for
the upcoming field season. Cameron Menzies (PEI Department of Agriculture and
Land) provided a wild blueberry extension report. The day concluded with the
PEI Wild Blueberry Growers’ Association annual business meeting. Thank you to
all members of the PEI Wild Blueberry Growers’ Association who helped organize
this great event, and to those who work to support the wild blueberry industry
of PEI.
Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia Spring Information Meeting
The ATTTA team was pleased to attend and present at the
WBPANS spring information meeting on April 5th, where there were
more than 100 industry members in attendance. The meeting started with a WBPANS
update from David Harrison (president) and Peter Burgess (executive director),
where they discussed the work of WBPANS for the past year, and the upcoming
plans of the association.
Dr. Andrew Byers of the ATTTA Team gave a presentation on
spraying best management practice around pollinators. This information is
available in the recently published best management practices guide “Protecting Pollinators from Pesticides – Wild Blueberry”,
which is available online. ATTTA intends to continue providing workshops and
events around this best management practices guide, as this information is
vital to beekeepers and blueberry growers in Atlantic Canada.
Hugh Lyu (Perennia Food and Agriculture Corp.) provided a
wild blueberry management and production update for the Nova Scotia sector.
Hugh discussed how winter conditions may have impacted wild blueberry crops,
and most growers are optimistic about their crops entering the new growing
season.
During the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture program
updates, it was reconfirmed that the Apiculture Sustainable Health and Growth
program, will be available in 2024, among many other beneficial programs for
farmers.
The spring meeting concluded with a panel discussion on
innovative on-farm practices. This involved a talk about the benefits of two
step mowing (rotary followed by flail mowing); the benefits of using weather
stations as a blueberry grower; and the advantages of various sprayer
equipment. Thank you to all members of WBPANS who helped organize this spring
meeting.
Reminder – The “Protecting Pollinators from Pesticides – Wild Blueberry” Best Management Practices Guide is Available Online
The ATTTA Team would like to remind blueberry growers and
beekeepers that the best management practices guide “Protecting Pollinators
from Pesticides” is available on the Perennia website: https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/ in
both English and French. The focus of this guide is on minimizing the impacts
of pesticides on pollinators and is meant for all those involved in wild
blueberry production.
